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The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 2004 to the present, the Phillies have played their home games at Citizens Bank Park in the South Philadelphia section of the city. The organization is tied with the San Francisco Giants as the fifth-oldest team in the majors, behind the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals.

The "Phillies" name originates as a shortened version of the "Philadelphias", as the convention at the time was to call the team by their home city. They are nicknamed the Fightin' Phils or simply the Fightin's. In Phillies culture, it is not unusual to replace an "f" with a "ph" in words, such as the Phillie Phanatic, or the "Phold" of '64.

One of the 19th century "Classic Eight" National League franchises, the club was founded in Philadelphia in 1883 as the "Quakers". The team adopted "Phillies" the following year and used it concurrently with "Quakers" until 1890, when they dropped the "Quakers" name. In an attempt to change the team's image, they added Philadelphia Blue Jays as a second nickname in 1943, but it only lasted two years.

At the outset of the 20th century, the team made its home in the Baker Bowl. After much fighting to get out of their lease and the badly aging stadium, they moved into Connie Mack Stadium (then Shibe Park) in 1938, home of their American League rivals, the Philadelphia Athletics. The A's would move in 1954 to Kansas City, Missouri, eventually moving to Oakland to become today's Oakland Athletics.

The Phillies have won one World Series Championship in their history, against the Kansas City Royals in 1980. In addition to their 1980 World Series victory, the Phillies have made four other World Series appearances, losing in 1915 to the Boston Red Sox, in 1950 to the New York Yankees, in 1983 to the Baltimore Orioles, and in 1993 to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Of the sixteen original American and National League teams (i.e, those in existence prior to the 1961-1962 expansion of the two leagues), the Phillies were the last team to win their first World Series, with their 1980 defeat of the favored Kansas City Royals in six games being their only World Series championship. Due in part to the age of the club, the Phillies became the first team in the four major sports to surpass 10,000 losses in franchise history in 2007.

Origins
In 1883, sporting goods manufacturer Al Reach (a pioneering professional baseball player) and attorney John Rogers won an expansion National League franchise for Philadelphia. They were awarded a spot in the league to replace the Worcester Brown Stockings, a franchise which had folded in 1882. The new team was named the Quakers. The team's opening season .173 winning percentage is still the worst in franchise history.

In 1884, Harry Wright (the future Hall of Famer) was recruited as manager in the hope of reversing the team's fortunes. The team was rechristened the "Phillies" (an homage to their hometown) and in 1887 they began play at the Baker Bowl. Despite a general improvement from their dismal beginnings, they never seriously contended for the title. The standout players of franchise in the era were Billy Hamilton, Sam Thompson, and Ed Delahanty, who in 1896 set the major-league record (since tied by several others) with 4 home runs in a single game.

Early 1900s
With the birth of the more lucrative American League in 1901, the Phillies saw many of their better players defect to the upstart, including a number of players who ended up playing for their crosstown rivals the Athletics, owned by former Phillies minority owner Benjamin Shibe.

While their former teammates thrived (the AL's first five batting champions were former Phillies), the remaining squad fared dismally, finishing 46 games out of first place in 1902. To add tragedy to folly, a balcony collapsed during a game at the Baker Bowl, killing 12 and injuring hundreds. The costs of the disaster forced Reach and Rogers to sell the Phillies rather than risk financial ruin.

The Phillies won their first pennant in 1915 thanks to the pitching of Grover Cleveland Alexander and the batting prowess of Gavvy Cravath, who set the major-league single-season record for home runs with 24. However, by 1917 Alexander had been traded away when owner William Baker refused to increase his salary. Baker was known for running the Phillies very cheaply; for instance, during much of his tenure there was only one scout in the entire organization.

The effect of the Alexander trade was immediate. In 1918--only three years after winning the pennant-- the Phillies finished 13 games under .500. It was the start of one of the longest streaks of futility in baseball history. From 1918 to 1947, the Phillies would have only one winning record (78-76 in 1932), only finished higher than sixth twice, and would never be a serious factor past June. The team's primary stars during the 1920s and 1930s were outfielders Cy Williams, Lefty O'Doul, and Chuck Klein, who captured the vaunted Triple Crown in 1933. Unfortunately, Philadelphia's cozy Baker Bowl proved to be a fertile hitting ground for Phillies opponents as well, and in 1930, the team surrendered 1199 runs, a major-league record still standing today.

1930s-1940s
Baker's death in 1930 left the team to his nephew, Gerald Nugent. Unlike Baker, he badly wanted to build a winning team. However, he didn't have the financial means to do so. He was forced to trade what little talent the team had to make ends meet, and often had to use some creative financial methods to even field a team at all. One problem was Baker Bowl. Once considered one of the finest parks in baseball, it was not well maintained from the 1910s onward. For several years, the Phillies tried to move to Shibe Park, five blocks north on Lehigh Avenue, as tenants of the A's. However, Baker Bowl's owner, Charles W. Murphy, refused to let the Phillies out of their lease at first. He finally relented in 1938, and only then because the city threatened to condemn the dilapidated park. Despite the change of scenery, attendance rarely topped 3,000 a game.

The nadir came in 1942, when the Phillies needed an advance from the league just to go to spring training. Nugent, unable to find a buyer, was forced to sell the franchise back to the league early in February 1943. A week later, the league sold the Phillies to a wealthy lumber broker named William Cox. A popular legend has it that Bill Veeck had agreed in principle to buy the Phillies from Nugent. As the story goes, Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and National League President Ford Frick quashed the deal when they found out that Veeck planned to stock the Phillies with Negro League stars. However, this story is likely false based on press accounts of the time; notably, Philadelphia's black press mentioned nothing about any prospective Veeck purchase.

For the first time in decades, the Phillies had an owner who was not only committed to building a winner, but wasn't afraid to spend the money it took to do so. His efforts had an immediate impact, as the team rose out of the standings cellar for the first time in 5 years in 1943, and the fans responded in kind, as attendance rose for the first time in nearly 30 years. However, Cox was a very hands-on owner. When his manager, Bucky Harris, objected to Cox's interference, Cox fired him. Out of revenge, Harris dropped a bombshell to the Philadelphia press in his hotel room: he had evidence that Cox was placing bets on his own team.

After an investigation, Cox admitted to making "sentimental" bets on the Phillies, but didn't know it was against the rules. This made no difference to Landis, who banned Cox from baseball for life. Author Rich Westcott was quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying Cox knew "next to nothing about baseball. Otherwise, why would he have bet on the Phillies?" Soon afterward, Cox sold controlling interest in the Phillies to DuPont heir Robert R.M. Carpenter, who turned control over to his son, Bob, Jr. Carpenter's first act was to try to change the team's name (and vicariously, its image) to the "Blue Jays" after a city wide vote on a new nickname. However, "Phillies" continued to appear on the team's jerseys, with a Blue Jay appearing on the sleeves. Students at Johns Hopkins University, whose teams are also known as the Blue Jays, vehemently protested Carpenter's decision, claiming that it dishonored their school. The nickname was quietly dropped in 1946.

The Whiz Kids


Carpenter, like Cox, wasn't afraid to spend the money it took to build a contender. He immediately started signing young players and devoted significant resources to the farm system. By the 1950s, the Phillies had gone from basement to pennant contender thanks to the "Whiz Kids," led by a lineup of young players developed by the Phillies' farm system that included future Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts.

Although the Phillies led in the standings for most of the 1950 season, a late-season tailspin (triggered by the loss of starting pitcher Curt Simmons to National Guard service) caused the team to lose the next eight of 10 games. On the last day of the season, the Phillies hung onto a one-game lead when Dick Sisler's dramatic tenth-inning, three-run home run against the Dodgers clinched the Phils' first pennant in 35 years. In the World Series, exhausted from their late-season plunge and recipients of poor luck, the Phillies were swept by the New York Yankees in four straight games. In 1954, the Athletics moved to Kansas City, and sold Shibe Park (renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1953) to the Phillies.

"Phold" of 1964
During their 30-year stretch of futility, the Phillies finished last a total of 17 times and next to last seven times. A 1962 cartoon in a baseball magazine depicted a ballplayer arriving at a French Foreign Legion outpost, explaining, "I was released by the Phillies!"

During 1962 and 1963, the Phillies began to climb back to respectability, and throughout the 1964 season, they seemed destined to make it to the World Series, with excellent performances from players such as rookie third baseman Dick Allen, starters Jim Bunning (obtained from the Detroit Tigers at the start of the season to shore up the pitching staff) and Chris Short, and star right fielder Johnny Callison. TV Guide went to press with a World Series preview that featured a photo of Connie Mack Stadium. However, from a 6½-game lead on the Cincinnati Reds with 12 games remaining in the season, Philadelphia collapsed in a 10-game losing streak (the first seven played at home). The crucial series came when the now second-place Phillies traveled to St. Louis to play the Cardinals after their losing home stand. They dropped the first game of the series to Bob Gibson by a 5-1 score, their eighth loss in a row, dropping them to third place. The Cardinals would sweep the three-game set and assume first place for good. The Phillies still had a chance to force an unprecedented three-way tie for first after the Cardinals dropped the first two games of their last season series to the New York Mets. However, the Cardinals won their last game of the season, leaving the Phillies tied with the Reds for second place--just one game out of first. The "Phold," as it is known, is one of the most notable collapses in sports history.

1970s
By 1970, Connie Mack Stadium was aging, and in the last day of the 1970 season at the stadium's last game the Phillies avoided last place by beating the Montreal Expos 2-1.

The Phillies opened the new Veterans Stadium in 1971, with hopes of a new beginning. In their first season there, pitcher Rick Wise hurled a no-hitter. That same season, Harry Kalas joined the Phillies broadcasting team. In 1972, the Phillies were the worst team in baseball, but newly acquired Steve Carlton won nearly half their games (27 of 59 team wins). In that same year, ownership of the Phillies was "inherited" by Robert "Ruly" Carpenter III when his father stepped down.

By 1974, the Phillies began their quest for a championship that would be theirs 6 years later. That year second baseman Dave Cash coined the phrase "Yes We Can" for the Phils. And, for a while, it looked as if they could. They led the division for 51 days. But in August and September the Phillies went 25-32 and it was "No They Couldn't".

The Phillies achieved some success in the mid-1970s. With such players as Carlton, third baseman Mike Schmidt, shortstop Larry Bowa, and outfielder Greg Luzinski, the Phillies won three straight division titles (1976-78). However, they fell short in the NLCS, against the Reds in 1976 and the Dodgers in 1977-78. In 1979, the Phillies acquired Pete Rose, the spark that would put them over the top.

1980-1992
The Phils won the NL East in 1980, but to win the league championship, they would have to defeat the Astros. In a memorable NLCS, with 4 of the 5 games needing extra innings, they fell behind 2-1 but battled back to squeeze past Houston on a tenth-inning game-winning hit by center fielder Garry Maddox, and the city celebrated its first pennant in 30 years. The entire series saw only one home run hit, a game-winning two-run home run by Phillies slugger Greg Luzinski in the Phillies' opening 3-1 win in Game 1 at Philadelphia.

Facing Kansas City in the 1980 World Series, the Phillies won their first world championship in 6 games, thanks to the timely hitting of Mike Schmidt and Pete Rose. Schmidt, who was the NL MVP for the 1980 season, also won the World Series MVP finals award on the strength of his 8 for 21 hitting (.381 average), including game-winning hits in Game 2 and the clinching Game 6. Thus, the Phillies became one of only four MLB teams with only one World Series championship, by far the oldest club with only one victory.

During the early 1980s, when baseball was becoming more drug-conscious, several Philadelphia players admitted to having used amphetamines from time to time. A memorable Philadelphia Daily News headline dubbed the team "The Pillies".

The team made the playoffs in the strike-shortened 1981 season losing to Montreal in the special pre-LCS playoff series. After the 1981 season, the Carpenter family sold the team to a group of investors led by Bill Giles and Dave Montgomery. Two years later, the "Wheeze Kids" would win another pennant, only to lose the 1983 World Series to Baltimore in 5 games.

The Phillies struggled for most of the rest of the 1980s and early 1990s. The 1992 season would end with the Phillies at the bottom of the barrel, at last place in the National League East. However, their fortunes were about to change.

1993 National League Champs
The 1993 Phillies were led by stars such as Darren Daulton, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra, and Curt Schilling. The team was often described as "shaggy," "unkempt," and "dirty." This team was known as a bunch of throw back, whatever it takes kind of players. The previous year, noting the presence of the clean-cut Dale Murphy, Kruk himself described the team as "24 morons and one Mormon" or a bunch of idiots and Murph. Their character endeared them to fans, and attendance reached a record high the following season. As a play on the legendary 1927 New York Yankees' Murderers' Row, the team's dirty, mullet-wearing look was dubbed "Macho Row." To the surprise of their city and the nation, the Phillies powered their way to a 97-65 record and an East division title, all thanks to a big April in which the Fightin's went 17-5.

The Phillies' major contributors on offense were OF Lenny Dykstra, 1B John Kruk, SS Kevin Stocker (a rookie who led the team in batting average, hitting .324), and OF Jim Eisenreich, all of whom hit over .300 for the season. Their pitching staff was led by 16-game winners Curt Schilling and Tommy Greene. Each member of the rotation posted at least 10 wins, while the bullpen was led by elder statesman Larry Andersen and closer Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams, who notched 43 saves and a 3.34 ERA.

The Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves (the two-time defending National League champions) in the 1993 National League Championship Series, four games to two, to earn the fifth pennant in franchise history. They faced defending world champion Toronto Blue Jays in the 1993 World Series. Philadelphia lost the Series in six games, with Toronto's Joe Carter hitting a walk-off three-run home run off of Mitch Williams in Game 6, to win a second consecutive championship for the Blue Jays. Following that loss, Williams was the subject of death threats and other hostile reaction from some irate Phillies' fans; he left for the Astros.

1994-2005
With the 1994 players' strike, most of the Phillies' fan base was greatly offended, and afterward, the team had little success either on the field or at the gate for a decade. Both were negatively affected by the realignment of the Atlanta Braves into the National League East in 1994, as the Braves won the division every year until 2006, often by wide margins. Despite the relative lack of success, many current baseball stars rose to prominence during this era in Phillies history, including Scott Rolen, Bobby Abreu, Randy Wolf, Plácido Polanco, and perhaps most notably Schilling. In addition, the nucleus of the current Phillies club (Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Brett Myers, and Cole Hamels) was developed during this era.

Former Phillie Larry Bowa was hired as manager for the 2001 season, and led the Phillies to an 86-76 record, their first winning season since the 1993 World Series year. They spent most of the first half of the season in first place, and traded first place with the Braves for most of the second half. In the end, they finished two games out of first, the Braves' tightest division race in years. Bowa was named National League Manager of the Year. The Phillies continued to contend for the next few years under Bowa, with the only blemish being an 80-81 season in 2002.

The opening of the new Citizens Bank Park brought fans new hope, and the team was expected to win the NL East. However, they finished a distant second, and Bowa was fired with two games to go in the season.

Charlie Manuel took over as manager for 2005, and kept the Phillies in contention throughout the season; they were only eliminated from wild card contention on the next-to-last day. However, it was not enough to save the job of general manager Ed Wade; he was fired after his eighth season. Soon after, the Phillies hired Pat Gillick, who, ironically, was the general manager of the 1992 and 1993 Toronto Blue Jays' Championship teams.

2006
Continuing what he had begun in the off-season, Gillick engaged in a flurry of trades in an effort to transform the character of the team and to obtain financial flexibility for what he termed "retooling." On July 26, 2006, the Phillies traded backup catcher Sal Fasano to the New York Yankees for minor league infielder Hector Made. Two days later, the Phillies traded third baseman David Bell, who was due to become a free agent during the off-season, to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league pitcher Wilfredo Laureano. Gillick did not stop there, making a deadline deal that sent outfielder Bobby Abreu and pitcher Cory Lidle to the Yankees in exchange for Matt Smith, C.J. Henry, Carlos Monastrios, and Jesus Sanchez.

The team responded well to the changes. All-Star second baseman Chase Utley was free to bat third, and Ryan Howard batted cleanup; more importantly, they assumed a team leadership role along with shortstop Jimmy Rollins. On August 18, Gillick acquired veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer, a native of the Philadelphia suburb of Souderton, Pennsylvania, for the starting rotation. Immediately afterwards, and following a win over the Washington Nationals on August 29, the Phillies record stood at 66-65, trailing the San Diego Padres by a mere half game in the wild-card race. By September 24, the Phillies had captured and lost the wild-card lead and were tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With identical 82-74 records, both teams took to the road for the final six games, the Phillies to Washington and Florida, the Dodgers to Colorado and San Francisco. On September 30, both the Dodgers and Padres won their respective games and as a result, the Phillies were eliminated from playoff contention while two games behind with only one left to play.

Ryan Howard was named the National League's Most Valuable Player, narrowly edging the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols to claim the top honor in the National League.

2007-08 offseason: Philly favorites
Even though their sweep from the playoffs was a disappointment, the Phillies started on their quest for October baseball in 2008 by trading OF Michael Bourn, RHP Geoff Geary, and 3B Michael Costanzo (since traded to the Baltimore Orioles) to the Houston Astros for RHP Brad Lidge and IF Eric Bruntlett. They also re-signed LHP J.C. Romero to a three-year deal, in addition to bringing back manager Charlie Manuel and the rest of the coaching staff.

The Phillies signed OF Geoff Jenkins to a two-year deal, to be the left-handed part of a platoon with right-handed OF Jayson Werth. They also signed OF So Taguchi to a one-year deal, as a pinch hitter/backup outfielder. With these new outfielders coming into town, the Phillies sold OF Chris Roberson to the Baltimore Orioles. Most recently, the Phillies acquired free-agent 3B Pedro Feliz, formerly of the San Francisco Giants, inking him to a two-year contract worth $8.5 million. These additions relegated IF/OF Greg Dobbs to a utility role, where he excelled last season as the team's primary left-handed pinch hitter. On February 21, 2008 an arbitrator ruled in Ryan Howard's favor, giving him a $10 million salary for the 2008 season.

Major League Baseball's website also recently named the Phillies as the favorites for the National League East championship for 2008. Meanwhile, in the wake of the 2007 season and Carlos Beltran's calling out of the 2008 Phillies' team, the Mets-Phillies rivalry now stands as one of the most intense in baseball.

Team Uniform
The current team colors, uniform, and logo date to 1992. The main team colors are red and white, with blue serving as a prominent accent. The team name is written in red with a blue star serving as the dot over the "i"s, and blue piping is often found in Phillies branded apparel and materials. The team's home uniform is white with red pinstripes, lettering and numbering. The road uniform is traditional grey with red lettering/numbering. Both bear a script-lettered "Phillies" logo, with the aforementioned star dotting the "i"s across the chest, and the player name and number on the back. Hats are red with a single stylized "P". The script "Phillies" and the red trim are similar to the style worn by the team during 1950 to 1969.

During the 2008 season, the Phillies will wear an alternate, cream-colored uniform during home day games in tribute to their 125th anniversary. The uniforms are similar to those worn from 1946 through 1949, featuring no pinstripes and red lettering bordered with blue piping. The accompanying cap is blue with a red bill and a red stylized "P." The uniforms were announced on November 29, 2007, where Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, pitcher Cole Hamels and Hall of Famer Robin Roberts modeled the new uniforms.

From 1970 to 1991, the Phillies sported colors, uniforms, and a logo that were noticeably different from what had come before, or since, but that were widely embraced by even traditionally minded fans. A darker red/burgundy was adopted as the main team color, with a classic pinstripe style for home uniforms. Blue was almost entirely dropped as part of the team's official color scheme, except in one area; a pale blue (as opposed to traditional grey) was used as the base-color for away game uniforms. Yet the most important aspect of the 1970 uniform change was the adoption of one of the more distinctive logos in sports; a Phillies "P" that, thanks to its unique shape and "baseball stitched" center swirl, remains instantly recognizable and admired, long after its regular use has ended. It was while wearing this uniform/logo/color motif that the club achieved its most enduring success, including a World Series title in 1980 and another World Series appearance in 1983. Its continued popularity with fans is evident, as even today Phillies home games can contain anywhere from a quarter to a third of the crowd sporting caps, shirts, and/or jackets emblazoned with the iconic "P" and burgundy color scheme.

For one game in 1979, the Phillies front office modified the uniform into an all-burgundy version with white trimmings, to be worn for Saturday games. They were called "Saturday Night Specials". The immediate reaction of the media, fans, and players alike was negative, with many describing the despised uniforms as pajama-like. As such, the idea was hastily abandoned.

Another uniform controversy arose in 1994 when the Phillies introduced blue caps on Opening Day which were to be worn for home day games only. The caps were unpopular with the players, who considered them bad luck after two losses. The caps were dumped after being used on the field for a month.

The Phillies pioneered the use of the batting practice jersey in 1977, wearing a maroon v-necked top with the "Phillies" script name across the chest, as well as the player name and number on the back and a player number on the left sleeve, all in white. Currently, during spring training (except for the 1992 season, when they were still wearing leftover 70-91 inspired gear) the Phillies wear solid red practice jerseys with pinstriped pants for Grapefruit League home games, and solid blue batting practice jerseys with gray pants for away games.

The Phillies are one of six MLB teams that do not display the name of their city, state or region on their road jerseys, joining the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, and, for the 2008 season, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Fan support
Phillies fans have earned a reputation over the years for their generally rowdy behavior. In the 1960s, radio announcers for visiting teams would frequently report on the numerous fights breaking out in Connie Mack Stadium. Immediately after the final game at the old park, many fans ran onto the field or dislodged parts of the ballpark to take home with them. Later, at Veterans Stadium, the notorious 700 Level gained a reputation for its "hostile taunting, fighting, public urination and general strangeness."

Memorable incidents include fans heckling Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Burt Hooton during Game 3 of the 1977 National League Championship Series; his poor showing has often been attributed to the crowd's taunting. In addition, J.D. Drew, the Phillies' No. 1 overall draft pick in 1997, never signed with the Phillies following a contract dispute with the team. Instead, he re-entered the draft the next year and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. Phillies fans were angered over this disrespect and pelted Drew with batteries. Many sports writers have noted the passionate presence of Phillies fans, including Allen Barra, who wrote: "The biggest roar I ever heard out of Philadelphia fans was in 1980 when Tug McGraw, in the victory parade after the World Series, told New York fans they could 'take this championship and shove it.'"

Celebrity fans
Several celebrities are known for being Phillies fans. Most lived, or once lived, in Philadelphia or its suburbs:


 * Samuel Alito, U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
 * Kevin Bacon, actor.
 * Ron Bennington, XM Satellite radio personality.
 * Bill Cosby, actor and comedian.
 * Jim Cramer, television personality and former hedge fund manager.
 * Kevin Eubanks, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno band leader.
 * Tina Fey, actress and comedian.
 * Art Garfunkel, singer and songwriter.
 * Christopher Guest, actor and screenwriter.
 * Daryl Hall, musician from Hall & Oates.
 * Bernard Hopkins, boxer.
 * Michael Johns, former White House Presidential speechwriter.
 * Jamie Kennedy, actor and comedian.
 * Tim McGraw, country music singer and son of former Phillies relief pitcher Tug McGraw.
 * James A. Michener, former author.
 * John Oates, musician from Hall & Oates.
 * Ryan Phillippe, actor.
 * Jimmy Pop, frontman for the Bloodhound Gang.
 * DJ Q-Ball, DJ for the Bloodhound Gang.
 * Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania Governor.
 * Rob Reiner, actor and director.
 * Antonin Scalia, U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
 * Beanie Sigel, rap artist.
 * Michael Smerconish, conservative radio personality.
 * Will Smith, rap artist and actor.
 * Stone Cold Steve Austin, former professional wrestler.

Phan Phavorites
Many recent Phillies players have had a fan group named "Phan Phavorites". While many role players have had groups, few have endured for more than a short while.

Philadelphia Phillies Achievements

 * Of the fifteen players who have hit four home runs in one game, three were Phillies at the time (more than any other team):
 * 1) Ed Delahanty on July 13, 1896 at West Side Park in Chicago.
 * 2) Chuck Klein on July 10, 1936 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
 * 3) Mike Schmidt on April 17, 1976 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Environmental Record
The Philadelphia Phillies are the first Major League Baseball team to join the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership Program which motivates organizations across the world to purchase green power in order to minimize environmental impact. The Phillies announced April 30, 2008 that their home field, Citizens Bank Park, will be powered with 20 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) or green energy purchased in Green-e Energy Certified Renewable Certificates (RECs). The EPA stated that this purchase holds the record in professional sports for the largest purchase of 100% renewable energy. The Phillies are among the top three purchasers of green power in Philadelphia, and the executive director of the Center for Resource Solutions, Arthor O'Donnell, wants, "other clubs to take their lead." Aramark Corporation is the Phillies food and beverage provider at Citizens Bank Park and they are taking major actions in improving the environmental impact of the Phillies home ball park. Glass, cardboard, plastics, used during game day are going to be recycled. Frying oil is to be recycled to produce bio-diesel fuel, and biodegradable, recyclable, and compostable products, serviceware, and plastics have been introduced.

Season-by-season records
The records of the Phillies' last five seasons in Major League Baseball are listed below.

Phillies MVPs

 * Chuck Klein (1): 1932
 * Jim Konstanty (1): 1950
 * Mike Schmidt (3): 1980, 1981, 1986
 * Ryan Howard (1): 2006
 * Jimmy Rollins (1): 2007

Retired numbers

 * 1 Richie Ashburn, OF 1948-1959 (later served as Phillies broadcaster from 1963 to 1997).
 * 14 Jim Bunning, P, 1964-1967, 1970-1971
 * 20 Mike Schmidt, 3B, 1972-1989
 * 32 Steve Carlton, P, 1972-1986
 * 36 Robin Roberts, P, 1948-1961
 * 42 Jackie Robinson, retired throughout all Major League Baseball
 * Grover Cleveland Alexander, P, 1911-1917 & 1930 (On the retired numbers wall at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies use a serif block letter "P" because he played before the team started wearing uniform numbers in 1932.)
 * Chuck Klein, RF, 1928-1933, 1936-1939, 1940-1944; Coach, 1942-1945 (Klein wore several numbers with Phillies when they introduced numbers in 1932. He wore the number 3 more than the others. He is still acknowledged with an Old English letter "P" like Alexander.)

Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
From 1978 to 2003, the Phillies inducted one former Phillie and one former member of the Philadelphia Athletics per year. Since 2004 they have inducted one Phillie annually. Players must be retired and must have played at least four years with the Phillies or Athletics.


 * 36 Robin Roberts, P, 1948-61; elected 1978
 * 1 Richie Ashburn, CF, 1948-59; Broadcaster 1963-97; elected 1979
 * Chuck Klein, RF, 1928-33, 1936-39, 1940-44; elected 1980
 * Grover Cleveland Alexander, P, 1911-17 & 1930; elected 1981
 * 14 Del Ennis, LF, 1946-56; elected 1982 (also Philadelphia native)
 * 14 Jim Bunning, P, 1964-69 & 1970-71; elected 1984
 * Ed Delahanty, LF, 1888-89 & 1891-1901; elected 1985
 * Cy Williams, CF, 1918-30; elected 1986
 * 2 Granny Hamner, SS, 1944-59; elected 1987
 * 5 Paul Owens, General Manager 1972-83; MGR, 1972 & 1983-84; executive 1984-2003; elected 1988
 * 32 Steve Carlton, P, 1972-86; elected 1989
 * 20 Mike Schmidt, 3B, 1972-89; elected 1990
 * 10 Larry Bowa, SS, 1970-81; MGR, 2001-04; elected 1991
 * 41 Chris Short, P, 1959-72; elected 1992 (also native of nearby Milford, Delaware)
 * 28 Curt Simmons, P, 1947-60; elected 1993 (also native of nearby Lehigh Valley)
 * 15 Dick Allen, 3B-1B, 1963-69 & 1975-76; elected 1994
 * 6 Willie Jones (Puddin' Head), 3B, 1947-59; elected 1995
 * Sam Thompson, RF, 1889-98; elected 1996
 * 6 Johnny Callison, RF, 1960-69; elected 1997
 * 19 Greg Luzinski, LF, 1970-80; elected 1998
 * 45 Tug McGraw, P, 1975-84; elected 1999
 * Gavvy Cravath, RF, 1912-20; MGR, 1919-20; elected 2000
 * 31 Garry Maddox, CF, 1975-86; elected 2001
 * 8 Tony Taylor, 2B, 1960-71 & 1974-76; elected 2002
 * Sherry Magee, LF, 1904-14; elected 2003
 * Billy Hamilton, LF, 1890-95; elected 2004
 * 8 Bob Boone, C, 1972-1982; elected 2005
 * 46 Dallas Green, P, 1960-67; MGR, 1979-81; elected 2006
 * 18 John Vukovich, INF 1970-71, 1976-81; COACH 1988-04; elected 2007

Roberts, Ashburn, Alexander, Schmidt, Carlton and broadcaster Harry Kalas have also been elected to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.

Promotions over the years

 * Hot Pants Patrol (1971-1982)
 * Phillie Phanatic (1978- present)

Minor league affiliations

 * AAA: Lehigh Valley IronPigs, International League
 * AA: Reading Phillies, Eastern League
 * High-A: Clearwater Threshers, Florida State League
 * Low-A: Lakewood BlueClaws, South Atlantic League
 * Short Season A: Williamsport Crosscutters, New York-Penn League
 * Rookie: GCL Phillies, Gulf Coast League
 * Rookie: VSL Phillies, Venezuelan Summer League
 * Rookie: DSL Phillies, Dominican Summer League

Radio and television
As of 2008, the Phillies' flagship radio station is WPHT, 1210 AM. The Phillies' television stations are Comcast SportsNet and WPSG channel 57, now known as "The CW Philly," with one game (the season opener) to be telecast on KYW-TV (CBS 3) and some early season games telecast on CN8 when there are conflicts on CSN with 76ers and Flyers games. CSN produces the games shown on the above-mentioned stations. Harry Kalas calls play-by-play in innings 1-3 and 7-9 on TV and the fourth inning on the radio. Scott Franzke provides play-by-play on the radio (except for the fourth), with Larry Andersen as the color man. Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews both provide color commentary on TV, with Tom McCarthy calling play-by-play in innings 4-6. Spanish broadcasts are on WUBA, 1480 AM with Danny Martinez on play-by-play and Bill Kulik and Juan Ramos on color commentary.

Phillies radio broadcasts are perhaps best known for their broadcasters use of the phrase, "Put this one in the win column for the fighting Phils," which is said consistently when the Phillies close out the third out in the ninth inning during a winning game. The phrase was started by former Phillies' broadcaster Scott Graham and has grown to be among the most recognizable sports broadcast comments in all of professional sports.